Nine years after the establishment of a service contract with all Nigerians, popularly known as SERVICOM, by the Federal Government, the people have not been getting fair deals in terms of better service delivery by the Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
Piqued by a damning report presented to the Federal Executive Council at its weekly meeting on today, President Goodluck Jonathan directed the ministers and all political office holders to “sit up” and henceforth ensure quality service delivery to Nigerians.
In 2003, Servicom was established during the regime of President Olusegun Obasanjo to ensure that MDAs discharged their obligations to the satisfaction of the Nigerian people.
Briefing correspondents after the cabinet meeting, the Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, said the report on SERVICOM stressed the need to re-energise it with a view to improving service delivery to the citizens.
Maku said: “Today, Council held discussion on improvement of service delivery by various MDAs. The Special Assistant to the President on Servicom addressed the council on the progress and challenges that have been faced over the last couple of years.
“The report says we need to improve on our services to the satisfaction of citizens. There is need to re-energise the servicom in government. It was agreed in council that service delivery in government can only be measured by the contentment of citizens.
“The President emphasised the need for all of us to sit up. For all ministers and all those holding executive positions in government to do their work because the work we do will be measured by the results the citizens get. The President emphasised that all of us must take service delivery seriously.”
In furtherance of Jonathan’s commitment to quality service delivery to the Nigerian people, the President constituted a committee to look at the areas that could enhance service delivery in all MDAs.
Maku’s words” “A Council committee was also constituted to look at those things that need to be done to ensure that from next quarter, we see greater efforts in terms of the quality of services that the various MDAs are delivering to members of the public.”
Sequel to a memo brought by the Minister of Transport, Council approved the contract for the rehabilitation of the Old Warri Port Terminal C, which has been dilapidated for 25 years, to Julius Berger for N9.406 billion.
The completion period is 25 months.
The Minister for Transport, while justifying the contract, said: “The scope of work involves a complete rehabilitation of the existing dilapidated structure at the terminal.
“The project, when completed, will meet the requirements of numerous shipping companies, serving oil drilling and prospecting companies in Nigeria.
“You all realise that our ports are over-stretched and we therefore need to enhance their capacities.”